Saturday, 28 April 2012

Charles Taylor

So one of the monsters has been convicted, of a lesser offence. There's been no attempt to prosecute anyone for the atrocities committed in Liberia during the civil war there. None of the other major rebel leaders involved in Sierra Leone's war can be prosecuted as they're all dead, some of them at Taylor's hands.

And, of course, there have been no prosecutions of the people behind the war. It could never have happened without the European diamond dealers who were only too happy to buy smuggled diamonds, or the arms dealers who supplied the weapons. Then we might mention the banks which took deposits form those who made themselves rich on stolen diamonds, without asking where the money came from.

But it's a bit of closure. Taylor funded his bid for the Presidency of Liberia with stolen diamonds, and caused untold suffering in the process. It's a vast relief that he, at least, won't be on the loose again for many years. If ever.